Cathode-ray tube analyzing and recording apparatus



Feb. 26, 1952 KNUTSEN 2,586,963

CATHODE-RAY TUBE ANALYZING AND RECORDING APPARATUS Filed May. 17. 1949 6 Sheets-Sheet 1 Fig.1

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CATHODE-RAY TUBE ANALYZING AND RECORDING APPARATUS Filed May 17. 1949 6 Sheets-Sheet 2 Fig. 2

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CATHODE-RAY TUBE ANALYZING AND RECORDING APPARATUS Filed May 17. 1949 6 SheerLs-Sheet 5 -IIVVI I Q5 v Inue/v'ro R Feb. 26; 1952 K. A. KINUTSKEN CATHODE-RAY TUBE ANALYZING ANDIRECORDINGAPPARATUS Filed May 17,1949

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v I I eN'v-O'R E WQ L MvWW i Y M\ Patented Feb. 26, 1952 CATHODE-RAY TUBE ANALYZING AND RECORDING APPARATUS Knut A. Knutsen, Paris, France, assignor to Compagnie Des Machines Bull (Societe Anonyme), Paris, France, a company of France Application May 17, 1949, Serial No. 93,806 In France June 4, 1948 14 Claims. 1

The object of the present invention is a cathode ray tube apparatus for scanning record cards on which data representations are recorded as printed or graphical marks or holes.

This apparatus may also be arranged so as to allow recording, as graphical marks, on a film or other photographic support, data representations to be scanned by means of said apparatus.

The record cards referred to are preferably divided into vertical columns and horizontal lines,

each of the latter corresponding to a given value. On these cards, a number or a letter may be marked in each column by setting a written sign, an opaque dash or dot, a spot or other mark or a hole in the column at a position corresponding to the number or to the letter to be indicated, a letter being usually defined by two marks in a column.

According to the invention, the scanning of a card is effected by analyzing the image of the card projected upon the mosaic plate of a television camera tube of the Iconoscope type or the like and by using the pulses resulting from the sweeping of that image by a cathode beam for the purpose of operating a scanning device. These pulses may also be sent to a recording device which records the items as letters or figures, on a photographic support such as a film.

The invention also includes an embodiment wherein the image of a card provided with one or more representations in each column, is projected upon the mosaic plate of a television camera tube of the Iconoscope type, and analyzed by means of a cathode beam which, while sweeping the various columns of the image, sends the resulting pulses to a translator which accumulates the representations by charging capacitors and enables to extract, from a combination of several representations, a single time-adjusted pulse operating a recording device.

Another object of the invention is a translating device inserted between a card analyzing device such as an Iconoscope and a recording device using a film or a photographic strip; this translator comprises capacitors for accumulating pulses arising from the analyzing tube and groups of relay valves, each group operating only when the tubes of the said group are energized by the said capacitors.

Other objects and features of the invention will be apparent during the course of the following description and in the accompanying drawings given by way of example and illustrating an embodiment of the invention applied for scanning and transcribing data representations on perforated cards, on a photographic film. The example described is in no way limitative, as the analyzing and translating devices described are liable to be adapted to computing, printing or punching devices.

Fig. 1 is a general diagram of an application of the invention.

Fig. 1a shows a detail of the optical recording device.

Fi 2 shows a card with marks or holes located according to a code.

Fig. 3 shows a method for analyzing a card whose image is steadily projected upon the mosaic plate of the Iconoscope.

Fig. 4 is a graph of the voltage applied to the vertical deflection plates of the Iconoscope for scanning the columns.

Fig. 5 is a graph of the deflection voltage applied to the horizontal deflection plates of the Iconoscope, during a time T which is the pe riod of a scanning cycle of a card.

Fig. 6 shows a method for analyzing cards Whose projected image moves with a continuous motion on the mosaic plate of the Iconoscope.

Fig. 7 is a diagram showing the principle of the coupling of voltage generators convenient for obtaining an analysis curve such as the one shown in Fig. 6.

Fig. 8 is a diagram showing the principle of a translating device operating in cooperation with the Iconoscope-analyzing device.

Fig. 9 is a detail diagram of one of the groups A1Bl of Fig. 8.

Figs. 10 and 10a show the input and the output distributors of the translator.

Fig. 11 is a partial diagram of an embodiment of Fig. 8 showing the application of electronic relays to the translating device.

Fig. 12 shows an alphabetical and numerical registering wheel provided with a, rotating shutter for photoelectrically generating the sweeping voltage.

Fig. 13 is a graph giving diagrammatically the shape of the voltage curve at the terminals of the spark gap lamp during operation.

Fig. 14 shows the recording of characters on a film movin with a continuous motion.

Fig. 15 shows the direction of the corrected displacement for the purpose of causing the characters to be properly lined up on the film.

The image of card 2|, in Fig. l, is projected upon the mosaic plate 23 of a cathode ray tube 24 by means of an appropriate optical device 22. The Iconoscope 24 comprises the usual arrangements (not shown) for producing and concen- 'ting device 32.

3 trating a cathode beam. As described hereunder the projected image is analyzed by the cathode beam whose displacements are controlled by defleeting plates (vertical ones 29 and horizontal ones 25) submitted to convenient sweeping voltages.

While scanning the projected image, the oathode beam sweeps more or less illuminated zones corresponding to the image of the material portion of the card and of the marks or holes provided on this card.

A rotating cam 2'1 linked to the objective 22 through a roller 21a and a rod 21b submitted to the action of a return mechanism such as a spring 28, is designed to hold the image of card 2| steady on the mosaic plate 23 in spite of the motion of this card, during the time required for its analysis by the sweeping beam. In another embodiment of the invention, the electronic sweeping device itself follows the image of the card during its displacement on the mosaic plate 23; in that case, the optical device is limited to the objective 22 which is fixed. The pulses generated during a card analysis are sent, through a circuit connection 29, to an amplifier 30. The amplified pulses are transmitted, through a circuit connection 3| to the transla- The latter comprises an input distributor 33 (Figs. 1 and 10) whose rotating arm 35 is connected to circuit connection 3|, and i an output distributor 34 (Figs. 1 and 10a). A diagram of the principle of the translator is shown in Fig. 8. The segments of distributor 33 (Fig. 10) are connected to the terminals bearing the same items, gram (Fig. 8). The segments of distributor 34 (Fig. 10a) are connected to the corresponding terminals at the right of the translator diagram (Fig. 8). The rotating arm 35 of distributor 33 (Fig. 10) connected to the output of amplifier 39 through connector 3| and rotating in synchronism with the scanning of each column of the card, comes into contact with its segments in synchronism with the scanning of the various index positions of the marks or holes of each column. The presence of a mark or a hole in any of these index positions causes thus a pulse to be sent to the corresponding segment.

The rotating arm 36 of distributor 34 (Fig. 10a) collects the voltages distributed, on its segments,

by the translator. The operation of the latter (Fig. 8) will be described further on. When the arm 36 comes into contact with a live segment, the current is sent through connector 31 (Figs. 10a and 1) to the spark gap lamp 38 which strikes and discharges capacitor 4| up to the quenching voltage of the lamp.

Capacitor 4| is continuously charged through the potentiometer system composed of the resistors R1 and R2 and determining the charging voltage of capacitor 4|.

A character bearing disc 39 (Figs. 1 and 12) is keyed on the same shaft 49 as the rotating distributor arms 35 and 36. The shaft 49 is mechanically linked to the feed mechanism of the cards and makes one revolution during the forward and return travel of the beam sweeping a column of the card. The spark gap lamp 38 transparently illuminates the characters to be registered. A compensating prism 49 (Fig. 1a) in the shape of a polygon with an even number of sides parallel to its rotation axis, revolves at a convenient speed and in synchronism with disc 39. The beam of rays carrying the image of the character crosses the prism through two parallel on the left of the translator diasides. The rotation motion of prism 49 (Fig. 1a) compensates the movement of the beam coming from the disc 39, so that the image of the character in front of objective 42 is held steady during a short while. Such compensating prisms are well known. The objective 42 sends the image on the recording film 43 (Fig. 1) through an oscillating mirror 44 whose oscillation about an axis 45 is controlled by a cam 46 and a return spring 4'1. The cam 46 is keyed on a shaft 48 already carrying the cam 21 and driven by a system of pinions t) and worm 5|, so designed that shaft 48 makes one revolution during a displacement A (Fig. 1) of the card strip, this displacement A corresponding to the time T of the passage in front of objective 22, of a card plus the interval between two cards. The oscillation of this mirror enables to record, on the same line, the marks corresponding to the particulars scanned in the various columns of a given card. The (vertical) sweeping of the card columns by the cathode beam is controlled by a saw-toothed voltage (Fig. 4) obtained by means of a photoelectrical device. Alamp 52 (Fig. 1) transparently illuminates the rotating disc 39. A transparent zone 53 (hachured in Fig. 12) is provided on that disc. A screen 54 having a slot 55 is set between the disc 39 and the photo-electric cell 56 on which the luminous beam crossing slot 55 is concentrated by means of a lens 51. The variations in the luminous flux reaching the cell, are converted, by means of the generator 58, into saw-tooth voltage variations (Figs. 4 and 7) which are transmitted through connector 59 (Fig. 1) to the vertical deflection plates 29 (scanning of columns).

This device ensures a perfect correspondence between the position of the distributors 35, 39 (Figs. 10, a), the marks scanned in the columns and the characters scanned on disc 39 by means of the recording device 38, 49, 42, whatever be the speed of the machine.

A similar device comprising the disc 59 (Fig. l) with the transparent zone 90a and the amplifier 6|, supplies, through connector 62, the horizontal sweeping voltage to plates 25. A cam 64 controlling a contact 65 by-passes to the mass the parasitic pulses liable to be transmitted to amplifier outside the useful column scanning time.

In Fig. 8 is shown diagrammatically the application oi. several circuits AlBl shown in detail in Fig. 9.

In other embodiments of the invention, this device may be replaced by electromagnetic relays.

Let the Iconoscope be analyzing the steadily projected image of a card (Fig. 3). From a to b, from c to d, from c" to f, and so on, the column analysis is eiiected, whereas b c, d'e", f'g' are the return travels of the sweeping beam. Along the path ef, the beam meets a mark in 9 for instance, and another one in 4. Both these marks correspond. in the code shown in Fig. 2, to the letter X. During the scanning of mark 3 by the Iconoscope, the distributor (Figs. 1 and 10) has sent to segment 9 the pulse coming from amplifier 39. This pulse has charged the condenser C9 (Fig. 8) thus energizing the connector 66, the anode 16 of the set of valves A1 connected to this connector, and the auxiliary anode 11b of the set of valves B1 also connected to this connector. The very high resistance 68 connected to each valve B1, is meant to keep fixed the potential of the auxiliary anode 1Tb with respect to the mass, during the non-operative periods. Resistor 69, limits the current of the auxiliary anode 11b when valve B1 strikes.

to segment 4.

of a same group be energized. strikes 38 as slightly the film-guide. cording achieved when the film-guide is parallel :.-to the oscillation axis X Y of mirror 44. Lines The resistors 68 and 69 together have a resistance high enough for keeping the condenser C9 charged during the required time. The scanning of the second mark (Figs. 3 and 4) expressing through its combination with 9,.the letter X, causes a charging pulse to be sent Connectors 10 (Figs. 8 and 9) of the three corresponding valves B1 are energized by the charge of condenser C4. The valves A1 and B1 which correspond simultaneously to connector 66 and to one of connectors 10 of segment 4, become liable to strike each other when the circuit is closed by the rotating arm 36 as it reaches segment X (Figs. 8 and 10a).

In the absence of this contact X-38 (Fig. 10a),

the anode 76 and the auxiliary anode 11 (Fig. 9)

have neighbouring voltages, the fall of potential .in 69 being negligible owing to the weakness of the current flowing through 68.

As the distributor 36 reaches segment X (Fig. 10a), it sets the latter at the potential of condenser 4l. The potential of lamp 38, shown in 86 in Fig. 13, is slightly less than the striking voltage shown in 81 (for instance about '70 volts).

Condensers C9 and C4 (Fig. 8) being charged, for

instance under 300 volts, a potential difierence of 300-70=230 'volts appears between the cathodes H-Hb and the anodes 1616b (Fig. 9). The potentials of the auxiliary anodes 11-l1b being near those of the anodes 16'l6b, the potential difference between the former and the cathodes H--'l1b is sufi'icient (greater than 70 volts) for striking valves A; and B1 and discharging condensers C9 and C4.

The spark gap tube 38 (Fig. 10a), when it has not struck, offers a high resistance. The rectifier element '12 ofiers a high resistance to the flow of the discharging current of C4-C9 towards condenser 41.. The voltage at the terminals of 33 increases to 8'! (Fig. 13), 38 strikes and discharges C9, C4 and 4| until the quenching voltage 68 (Fig.

13) of tube 38 is reached. The fall of potential in the rectifier 12 along the flowing direction is negligible, and the unstriking voltage of valves A1 and B1 is low. The operation of tube 33 is I therefore, in the example described, controlled by the contact of distributor 36 (Fig. 10a) with segment X (Fig. 8). The distributor 36, as already mentioned, is keyed on the same shaft as disc 39. When 36 is on X, the letter X of disc 39 enters the optical recording system and is recorded provided tube 38 is operating at that moment.

If there has notpreviously been any charging pulse on 9, onlyci is charged, connector 66 is not live and there is no group of valves A1-B1 (Fig. 9) in which both valves are energized. It is necessary for the current to flow, that both valves In that case, C4 36 comes into contact with segment 4 and records the figure 4. If, on the contrary,

only C9 has been charged, tube 38 will only operate when 36 comes into contact with segment 9 (Figs. 10a and 8) and the figure 9 will be recorded. In order to ensure on the film a regularly spaced recording of the characters, thelatter are distributed on the wheel 39 (Fig. 12) along motion. In that case, it is sufficient to incline Fig. 14 shows theresuch as ab" are those of the registered characters, lines such as b-c" corresponding to the return of the mirror. Line a"b" makes an angle a with the perpendicular to the filmguide. In Fig. 15, the film-guide makes an angle a with the oscillation axis of the mirror. The recording lines of the characters become perpendicular to the edge of the film. In order to ensure a good focussing of the images, it is also preferable that, at the place of recording, the film 43 be bent along a cylindrical surface having for its axis, the oscillation axis 45 of mirror 44 (Fig. 1).

The data representations of a given card may be recorded on several lines. by rotating the cam 46 (Fig. l) twice or three times as fast according to the number of lines. The horizontal sweeping voltage controlling the displacements of the cathode beam from Y to Z (Fig. 3) varies conveniently according to a stair-shaped curve, as shown in Fig. 5. Under these conditions, the horizontal sweeping pauses during a time t on each column which is, owing to this fact, scanned along one axis in the vertical sweeping. This shape of the voltage curve is easily achieved by giving a convenient toothed outline to the disk 68 (Fig. 1) controlling this sweeping.

The image follower device 21, 28 (Fig. 1) designed to hold steady, on the Iconoscope, the image to be analyzed, is not necessary, provided the mosaic plate 23 is of sufficient size or of convenient shape.

Fig. 6 relates to the case in which the image is movable and the sweeping axis moves with it.

This kind of sweeping is achieved by transferring (Fig. 7) the horizontal sweeping voltage (supplied by 6 I) to the vertical sweeping voltage. The axis of the broken line followed by the oathode beam gets then inclined as shown in Fig. 6. A device 10 described hereunder supplies a voltage which is determined by a voltage adj usting device and which ensures the centring of the sweeping with the movable image projected on the mosaic plate.

Fig. 5 shows the variation of the horizontal sweeping voltage during the time T of a card scanning cycle; on this diagram 5 is the pause in the horizontal sweeping during the scanning of a card column by the vertical sweeping.

In Fig. 6, 5' represents the displacement of the cathode beam during the time t of the scanning, for instance, of the first column. Point C P indicates, in time, the position of the beam corresponding to the reading of hole I of the first column. The image of the card moving on the mosaic plate must, at that moment, be driven forward to a position such that the image. of the hole I of the first column coincides with the said point C P. It is possible that the coincidence is not ensured as the electronic beam may be fast or late. In order to cope with this disadvantage, an auxiliary anode 24a is provided inside tube 24 (Fig. 1). At the end of the return sweeping travel, the electronic beam meets anode 24a during a time 223' corresponding to the distance 26" and charges through the amplifier 241) (Fig. 7) a condenser C H which supplies potentiometer P, with a roughly continuous voltage, called centring voltage. Indeed, if the sweeping beam is centred too late with respect to the displacement of the image card, it will meet the auxiliary anode 24a during a time 2t during which C H will be charged and will reach a the direction of arrow F (Fig. 6). An excess of this voltage would cause the cathode beam no longer to-meet the anode Zfla on its return travel and would no longer maintain the charge of condenser CH, the consequence being a decrease in voltage. The principle device very roughly de scribed above, ensures a permanent centrlng or" the sweeping with the mosaic plate on which the image is projected.

The voltage supplied by condenser CH (Fig. '1) during the sweeping of the image of a card, is not absolutely constant, since CH gets slowly discharged into P1, during the lapse when 0 H does not receive charging pulses from amplifier A. The adjusting of potentiometer P2, by raising the slope of the current supplied by B l, makes up-for this weakening.

The amplifier relay 24b sends to the condenser C H amplified pulses for the purpose of ensuring a convenient charge to the condenser.

The adjustment at the start is effected by acting on the adjusting potentiometers P1, P2 and Pa. An adjustment control device is provided. It comprises a bolt 44a (Fig. l) which is pushed for keeping the oscillation lever d ll) of mirror 44 free from the action of cam 48. Under these conditions, the image of all the characters to be registered and which are normally projected on the photographic film, is sent back on a focussing screen 90 on which it may be sighted through an eye-piece 9|. Sets of cards having the same representations in every column, are moved for ward. The accurate superposition of identical characters projected on the translucent screen 90, must result in a sharp image corresponding to the representations recorded in the columns. In case the adjustment is incorrect, an image diiierent from the one which ought to appear or fuzzy because of the superposition of different characters, will be seen.

When the adjustment is checked, the lever 44a is freed and the machine is liable to effect, on the film, correct recordings of the characters recorded in various columns on the cards.

At the high speeds allowed by the analysis by means of an Ioonoscope, the condenser charging and discharging distributors give rise to sparks liable to spoil rapidly the contacts.

In an embodiment of the invention (Fig. 11), the amplifier 30 (Fig. 1) feeds, through distributor 35 (Figs. 10 and 11), the relay valves G1 (Fig. 11) whose grids receive the pulses arising from the Iconoscope after they have been amplified. Owing to this fact, the grids of valves G are temporarily positively biased. Besides, another distributor 36 (Fig. 11) biases successively the grids :1-

of the relay valves S1. When the grid of valve G1 is thus biased, tube 38 strikes and records, as described above, the corresponding character. It will be noted that the plate circuit of valve G1 has its capacitor C charged or corresponds to a group of valves Al-Bl already to operate, i. c. with its plates energized.

Voltage adjusting devices may be provided in order to cope with occasional variations of the supply sources and to make up for the variations in sensitiveness of the Iconoscope tube owing to ageing.

The photo-sensitive film may furthermore receive the purely photographic recording of the totals or computation results formed in the registers and worked out starting from elements scanned on the record cards.

When the cards have no combined holes in a same column, the intervention of a translating device is no longer necessary and the pulses arisitl ing from the Iconoscope and conveniently amplifled are directly transmitted, through connector 3|, to tube 38 or, through distributor 35, to print.- ing, computing or punching devices conveniently adapted.

The horizontal sweeping voltage determining the columns scanned on the cards may be controlled so asto invert or do without the recording of certain columns. It is also possible" to do without the recording of representations appearing in certain columns, by arranging appropriate movable shutters, either in front of the documents to be analyzed, or in front of the recording film. Moreover, the translating device may be applied in combination with simplified card scanning devices, for instance, in the case of the recording of data representations appearing in the same column on successive cards, several similar devices, each comprising a photo-electric cell, may be simultaneously used.

It is obvious that the example described is in no way limitative; thus it is possible to use cards having recordings involving the combination of three signs or more per column. The translating device will then be designed with tubes in appropriate number and combinations, according to the case and applications without departing from the scope of the invention.

I claim:

1. A record analyzing and translating apparatus for analyzing and translating records hearing data representations in form of spots in a plurality of columns, said spots having reflecting properties different from that of the records and located in various index positions according to a code in which such a spot in a column represents an integer number, whose value depends on the location of the spot in said column and in which one such spot or the combination of two such spots if any in a column conventionally represents a differential character among a given series, comprising a television camera tube of the Iconoscope type with a mosaic plate and a scanning electron beam, a record feed mechanism for continuously feeding a series of records past said tube, a lens device adapted to project the image of each record on the mosaic plate and reciprocated at a speed and in a direction such as the image of a record is held steady on said mosaic plate while said record is being analyzed, two sweep devices adapted to be controlled in timed relation with the record feed mechanism for generating two variable sweep voltages combined for causing the scanning electron beam to scan the index positions of a column in one operation and for repeating said scanning operation for each column projected on the mosaic plate, so producing across output terminals of said tube a train of electrical pulses, each pulse being timed in accordance with the number value of any spot, circuit connections for conducting said pulses from the output terminals of said tube to an amplifier circuit and circuit connec- 1310115 for conducting the amplified pulses from the amplifier circuit to a pulse commutation and storage unit, a decoding device controlled by said unit for translating the one-pulse or the twopulse combination resulting from the column being analyzed into one pulse timed differentially according to the character represented in said column, by means of electric valve means cyclically connected.

2. A record analyzing and translating apparatus for analyzing and translating records bearing data representations in form .of spots in .a

plurality of columns, said spots having reflecting properties difierent from that of the records and located in various index positions according to a code in which such a spot in a column represents an integer number, whose value depends on the location of the spot in said column and in which one such spot or the combination of two such spots if any in a column conventionally represents a differential character among a given series, comprising a television camera tube of the Iconoscope type with a mosaic plate and a scanning electron beam, a record feed mechanism for continuously feeding a series of records past said tube, a lens device adapted to project a moving image of each record on the mosaic plate, two sweep devices adapted to be controlled in timed relation with the record feed mechanism for generating two variable sweep voltages combined for causing the scanning electron beam to scan the index positions of a column in one operation and for repeating said scanning operation for each column projected on the mosaic plate, so producing across output terminals of said tube a train of electrical pulses each pulse being timed in accordance with the number value of any spot, a circuit connection arrangement adapted to superimpose the two aforesaid voltages for neutralizing the motion of the projected image of a record being analyzed and for timing said pulses in the same relation as if the record image were steady on the mosaic plate, circuit connections for conducting said pulses from the output terminals of said tube to an amplifier circuit and circuit connections for conducting the amplified pulses from the amplifier circuit to a pulse commutation and storage unit, a decoding device controlled by said unit for translating the one-pulse or the two-pulse combination resulting from the column being analyzed into one pulse timed differentially according to the character represented in said column by means of electric valve means cyclically connected.

3. A photographic recording machine comprising in combination an analyzing section for analyzing record cards bearing data representations in the form of spots a plurality of columns, said spots having reflecting properties different from that of record cards and located in various index positions according to a code in which such a spot in a column represents an integer number, whose value depends on the location of the spot in said column and in which one such spot or the combination of two such spots if any in a column conventionally represents a differential character among a given series, comprising 'a television camera tube of the Iconoscope type, a record feed mechanism for continuously feeding a series of record cards past said tube, optical means for projecting a steady image of each moving record card on the mosaic plate of said tube, two sweep devices adapted to be controlled in timed relation with the record feed mechanism for causing the scanning beam in said tube to scan successively the different columns projected so that a train of timed pulses is produced across output terminals of said tube for each card analyzed each pulse being timed in accordance with the number value of any spot, a recording section including a source of light adapted to change a timed pulse into a short illumination and located near a rotating opaque disc bearing transparent complete characters so that an image of a selectively illuminated character is projected on a photographic film through optical means for compensating the displacements of said characters, a lens combination and an oscillating mirror oscillated on an axis parallel to the film feeding direction for projecting said image on said film, synchronizing means for synchronizing said rotating and oscillating parts with the record and film feeding means.

4. A photographic recording machine compris ing in combination, an analyzing section for analyzing record cards bearing data representations in the form of spots in a plurality of columns, said spots having reflecting properties different from that of the record cards and located in various index positions according to a code in which a television camera tube of the Iconoscope type,

a record feed mechanism for continuously feeding a series of cards past said tube, optical means for projecting the moving image of each record card on the mosaic plate of said tube, two sweep devices adapted to be controlled in timed relation with the record feed mechanism for causing the scanning beam to scan successively the various index positions of the columns projected, at a rate of one column at a time, for producing a train of timed pulses across the terminals of said tube each pulse being timed in accordance with the number value of any spot for each card analyzed, a circuit connection arrangement such as the sweep voltages generated by the aforesaid sweep devices are superimposed for neutralizing the motion of the projected image of a record card being analyzed and for timing said pulses in the same relation as if the record image were steady on the mosaic plate, a recording section including a source of light adapted to change a timed pulse into a short illumination and located near a rotating opaque disc bearing transparent complete characters so that an image of a selectively illuminated character is projected on a photographic film through optical means for compensating the displacements of said characters, a lens combination and an oscillating mirror oscillated on an axis parallel to the film feeding direction for projecting said image on said film, synchronizing means for synchronizing said rotating and oscillating parts with the record and film feeding means.

5. A photographic recording machine comprising in combination an analyzing section for analyzing records bearing data representations in the form of spots in a plurality of columns, said spots having reflecting properties different from that of the records and located in various index positions according to a code in which such a spot in a column represents an integer number, whose value depends on the location of the spot in said column and in which one such spot or the combination of two such spots if any in a column conventionally represents a differential character among a given series, comprising a television camera tube of the Iconoscope type, a record feed mechanism for continuously feeding a series of records past said tube, optical means for projecting the moving image of each record on the mosaic plate of said tube, two sweep devices adapted to be controlled in timed relation with the record feed mechanism for causing the scanning beam in said tube to scan successively the diiferent columns projected so that a train of combinationally timed pulses is produced across the output terminals of said tube each pulse being timed in accordance with the number value of any spot, a circuit connections arrangement such that the sweep voltages, generated by the aforesaid sweep devices are superimposed for neutralizing the motion of the projected image of a. record being analyzed and for timing said pulses in the same relation as if the record imagewere steady on the mosaic plate; a translating and recording section including a decoding device controlled in timed relation with the operation of said two sweep devices for converting the one-pulse or the two-pulse combination resulting from the column being analyzed into onepulse timed diiierentially according to the character represented in said column, by means of electric valve means cyclically connected, a source of light adapted to change a timed pulse into a short illumination. and located near a rotating opaque disc bearing transparent characters so that an image of a selectively illuminated charactor is projected on a photographic film through. optical means for compensating the displacements of said characters, a lens device and an oscillating mirror oscillated on an axis parallel to the film feeding direction for projecting said image on said film, synchronizing means for synchronizing said rotating and oscillating parts with the record and film feeding means.

6. The invention set forth in claim 1 in which each sweep device comprises a source of light, a screen with a rectilinear aperture adapted to pro.- ject a light beam on a light sensitive device, a light beam controlling device consisting of a rotating disc with a radially variable transparent zone for controlling the cross-section of said light beam impinging said, light sensitive device, whereby each light sensitive device supplies a current variable according to a timed relation-With. respect to the operation of the record ieedmechanism, amplifier circuits for supplying the related deflecting systems of the .lconoscope tube with amplified voltages responsive to; the variations of said'light beams.

'7. The invention set forth in claim 1, inwhich the record analyzin apparatus is provided with an automatic sweep control arrangement. for maintaining, after initial setting, the scanning electron beam in correct alignment with the record image on the mosaic plate, comprising an auxiliary anode located in the Ioonoscope tube. at close distance of the mosaiclplate so, that thescanning electron beam impinges saidauxiliary anode for some time at each record analyzing--cyole and gives rise to a pulse of a certainrdura-tion available across an auxiliary terminal of the Ioonoscope tube, an amplifier circuit, for amplifying and shaping said pulse, circuit connections for applying said pulse to a parallel circuit including a resistant potentiometer and a capacitor to be charged by said pulse, said parallel circuit. being inserted in the column sweep circuit. in

order that the corresponding sweep voltage be raised or lowered in direct ratio with the time the scanning electron beam remains on the control auxiliary anode.

8. A photographic recording machine for reproducing on a photographic film in legible characters data symbolically registered on record cards, data located on each card in. differential positions in apluraltiy of columns according to their value, comprising in combination a cathode ray tube of the Iconoscope type, means including said tube for producing at each card cycle, a train of electrical pulses differentially 12: timed in successive. recurrent scanning cycles with respect to the value of the data registered in said plurality of columns on the cards continuously fed past said tube, a source of light adapted to change said pulses. into short illuminations, a. rotating disc bearing all the characters to. be reproduced located so that the. trajectory of said characters encounters the path of the light beam emitted by said source of light, steady and movable optical devices for projecting the images of the characters selected by said pulses in adjacent locations on a photographic film fed in synchronism with the card feed mechanism, comprising means for synchronizing the pulses producing means, the characters bearing disc, the

movable optical devices with the record cards feed mechanism and film feed means.

9. A photographic recording machine. compris ing in combination, one analyzing section for analyzing continuously fed record cards provided,

with adjacent columns of index point positions, each column being adapted to receive a numerical datum in form of mark or hole differentially located oran alphabetical datum in form of two. marks or holes differentially located in said col.- umn, said analyzing section including a television camera tube of the Iconoscope type, a record card feed mechanism for continuously feeding a.

series of record cards past said tube in a. direction. parallel to the columns. of said cards, moving optical means adapted to project. a steady image of a. moving record card onto the mosaic plate of said tube, two. sweep devices controlled:

in timed' relation with the record feed mecha nism, the first sweep device generating a. continuously variable voltage for causing the scanning electron beam to scan the complete datum representations in the index point positions of a column in one scanning cycle, the second sweep; device generating a step-by-step varying voltage for causing the scanning electron beam to scan successively the adjacent columns projected, said scanning producing, when two coded marks or holes are being scanned in one column, two pulses differentially timed during one of said cycles and available across the output terminals of said tube, amplifying means for amplifying said last-named pulses, a translating and recording section including a decoding device controlled in timed relation with the operation. of said two sweep devices for converting, at each scanning cycle, the two pulses resulting from one column being analyzed into a single operative pulse representative of a coded alphabetical datum, a source of light responsive to said operative pulse for con--' verting the latter into a short illumination, a rotating opaque disc hearing transparent complete numerical and alphabetical characters in the path. of light rays emitted by said source of light, a photographicfilm continuously fed for'each record card being analyzed, a steady lens device,.an oscillating mirror oscillated on an axis parallel to the film feeding direction, said lens device. being located for projecting the image of each selectively illuminated character on said mirror, and said mirror being oscillated in synchronism with said record card feed mechanism for projecting the. images or successively illuminated characters onto said photographic film in lines substantially perpendicular to the feeding direction of said film.

10. In a photographic recording machine, a record analyzing apparatus for analyzing continuously fed record cards provided with denominationally ordered columns of index point posi:

tions in which spots of particular reflecting properties may represent a digit value by their respective location in said index point positions of each of said columns, said apparatus comprising a television camera tube of the Iconoscope type with a mosaic plate and a scanning electron beam, a record card feed mechanism for continuously feeding a series of record cards past said tube, a lens device rectilinearly moved in synchronism with said feed mechanism to project onto said mosaic plate a steady image of each record card as the latter is moved past said tube, two sweep devices adapted to be controlled in timed relation with the record card feed mechanism for generating two variable sweep voltages combined for causing the scanning electron beam to scan all the index point positions of a projected column in one cycle and for repeating said scanning cycle for each column projected on the mosaic plate, a pulse differentially timed in said cycle and representing the numerical value of a projected spot being produced and available across the output terminals of said Iconoscope tube when said spot is being scanned in one column, pulse amplifying means and distributing means intermediately connected between said output terminals and a photographic film illuminating means, digit displaying means operated in synchronism with said record feed mechanism and said distributing means, said digit displaying means cooperating with said illuminating means, for projecting on said photographic film during each scanning cycle the complete image of a digit related to a diiferentially timed pulse. I I

11. In a photographic recording machine, a record analyzing apparatus for analyzing continuously fed record cards provided with denominationally ordered columns of index point positions, in which columns a plurality of spots of reflecting properties different from that of the card material may represent, by the location of one spot in the index point positions of each column, different numerical values of digits, said apparatus comprising a television camera tube of the Iconoscope type with a mosaic plate and a scanning electron beam, a record card feed mechanism for continuously feeding a series of record cards past said tube in a direction parallel to the columns of said cards, a lens device adapted to project a moving image of each record card onto the mosaic plate, two sweep devices adapted to be controlled in timed relation with the record card feed mechanism for generating two variable sweep voltages combined for causing the scanning electron beam to scan all the index point positions of a projected column in one cycle and for repeating said scanning cycle for each column' projected on the mosaic plate, a circuit connection arrangement adapted to superimpose the 14 cycle the complete image of a digit related to a differentially timed pulse.

12. A photographic recording machine comprising in combination an analyzing section for analyzing record cards provided with adjacent columns of index point positions, each column being adapted to receive a numerical datum in to be controlled in timed relation with the record feed mechanism for generating two variable sweep voltages combined for causing the scanning electron beam to scan all the index point positions of a column in one cycle and for repeating said scanning cycle for each column projected on the mosaic plate, said scanning resulting in two pulses differentially timed in said cycle for representing the alphabetical value of said marks or holes when two coded marks or holes are being scanned in one column, said pulses being produced and available across the output terminals of said Iconoscope tube, pulse amplifying means for amplifying said pulses, a first distributing means receiving amplified pulses from said amplifying means, a second distributing means operated in synchronism with the record card feed mechanism and said first distributing means, electric valve means inter-' connected between said first and second distributing means for converting the two pulses occurring upon one column analysis into one op-' characters displaying means operated in synchronism with said record feed mechanism for projecting onto said photographic film during each scanning cycle the complete image of a: digit or letter related to a differentially timed operative pulse.

13. A photographic recording machine comprising in combination an analyzing section for,

analyzing record cards bearing data representations in the form of spots of reflecting properties different from that of the record card and located in various index positions according to a combinational code in a plurality of columns,

including a television camera tube of the Icono-' scope type; record feeding means for continu-.

ously feeding a series of record cards past said tube, optical means for projecting a steady image of a moving. record card on the mosaic plate of said tube, two sweep devicesadapted to be controlled in timedv relation with the record feeding means for causing the scanning beam in said tube to scan successively the different columns projected so that a train of combinationally;

timed pulsesis produced across the output terminals of said tube in accordance with the values of the data representations for each analyzed card, a translating and recording section ineluding. a decoding device adapted to be controlled in timed relation with the operation of said two sweep devices for converting the plurality of pulses resulting of a column being analyzed into a single operatively timed pulse, a source of light adapted to change a timed pulse into a short illumination, a rotatable opaque disc bearing transparent characters on a circular portion thereof said disc being arranged near said source of a light in order that said portion moves in the path of the luminous rays emitted by said source, a recording photographic film, an optical means adapted to form on said film an image of a selectively illuminated character of said disc while compensating the displacement of said character, said decoding device including two distributors adapted to be operated in timed relation with the sweep devices, the first of said distributor being adapted for charging with said pulses at least one capacitor among a plurality of capacitors, the second of said distributors including a rotating arm electrically connected to said source of light, said rotating arm sweeping segments of particular numerical values and se ments of particular alphabetical values inserted between the first-named segments, a circuit network for connecting each of said capacitors to a related segment of particular numerical value of said second distributor and for operatively separating said capacitors in two groups, one group wherein each capacitor is associated by interconnections with all the capacitors of the other group in which each capacitor is connected to several segments of particular alphabetical value on said second distributor, each interconnection comprising a pair of cold cathode valves acting as gates in association with said distributors, in which pair the anode of a valve is connected to a capacitor of one of the groups and to the starting electrode of the other valve while the anode of the other valve is connected to a capacitor of the other group and to the starting electrode of the first-named valve, the cathodes of the two combined valves being connected to a segment of any particular alphabetical value, said arrangement being adapted to discharge the capacitors charged by said pulses only when the rotating arm of said second distributor sweeps the segment completing the cathodic circuit of both valves interconnecting said charged capacitors.

14. A photographic recording machine comprising in combination an analyzing section for analyzing record cards bearing data representations in the form of spots of reflecting properties difierent from that of the record card and located in various index positions according to a combinational code in a plurality of columns, including a television camera tube of the Iconoscope type, record feeding means for continuously feeding a series of record cards past said tube, optical means for projecting a steady image of a moving record card on the mosaic plate of said tube, two sweep devices adapted to be controlled in timed relation with the record feeding means for causing the scanning beam in said tube to scan successively the different columns projected so that a train of combinationally timed pulses is produced across the output terminals of said tube in accordance with the values of the data representations for each analyzed card, a translating and recording section including a decoding device adapted to be controlled in timed relation with the operation of said two sweep dc.- vices for converting the plurality of pulses resulting of a column being analyzed into a single operatively timed pulse, a source of light adapted to change a timed pulse into a short illumination,

16 a rotatable opaque disc bearing transparent characters on a circular portion thereof said disc being arranged near said source of a light in order that said portion moves in the path of the luminous rays emitted by said source, a recording photographic film, and optical means adapted to form on said film an image of a selectively illuminated character of said disc while compensating the displacement of said character, said decoding device including two distributors operated in timed relation with the sweep devices, the first of said distributors for charging with the combinationally timed pulses at least one capacitor among a plurality of capacitors, each of said capacitors being inserted between a common point of constant potential equivalent to the ground, and the cathode of an electronic relay valve whose control grid is connected to a corresponding segment of said first distributor, all the plates of said valves being supplied in multiple with direct current of high voltage, the second of said distributors including a rotating arm electrically connected to the positive terminal of a battery, said rotating arm sweeping segments of particular numerical values and segments of particular alphabetical values inserted between the first-named segments, a set of hard valves whose control grids are respectively connected to the segments of said second distributor and whose cathodes are connected through a common line to said source of light, a circuit network for connecting the non-grounded plate of each of said capacitors to the plate of arelated hard valve in said set, the control grid of said related hard valve being connected to a segment of a particular numerical value and for operatively separating said capacitors in two groups, one group wherein each capacitor is associated by interconnections with all the capacitors 0f the other group, wherein the non-grounded plate of each capacitor is connected to the plates of several hard valves whose control grids are connected to segments of particular alphabetical value on said second distributor, each interconnection comprising a pair of cold cathode valves acting as a gate in association with said distributors, in which pair the anode of a valve is connected to a capacitor of one of the groups and to the starting electrode of the other valve, while the anode of the other valve is connected to a capacitor of the other group and to the starting electrode of the first-named valve, the cathodes of a pair of valves being connected to the plate of a hard valve whose control grid is connected to a segment of particular alphabetical value said arrangement permitting the discharge of two capacitors charged by said pulses, only when the related hard valve in said set is rendered conductive upon completion of its grid biasing circuit by the rotating arm of saidsecond distributor sweeping the corresponding segment.

KNUT A. KNUTSEN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,227,054 Bedforcl Dec. .31, .1940 2,275,017 McNaney Mar. '3, 1942 2,314,920 Bumstead Mar. 30, 1943 2,360,580 Potts Oct.'17, 1944 

